20 How Do We Offer Sacrifices to the Internet Deity?

"Huff… huff…"

Rapid and heavy gasps made the youth's lungs feel dry and hot. Every exchange of air was searing and extremely painful.

But the youth still continued to run in a great hurry. His physical pain couldn't conceal the ecstacy on his young face.

The ground in the slum was wet and slippery. An unknown substance mixed with mud was seeping out from the gaps of his toes when he stepped on the ground and he lost his footing.

He slipped and fell on his face. His whole body was soiled.

But he didn't stop. He got up and dashed off again.

He finally reached his destination.

It was a narrow alley that had a shanty town made up of stones, wood and hay on both of its sides.

The place was not too big, but it did have many houses built closely together. A couple of them would be crushed by the winter snow every year.

People were walking to and fro on the narrow walkways.

"Huff… huff…"

The youth stood with hands on knees, panting heavily. After catching his breath, he started to yell hysterically, "Great news… huff… The Grand Mage Theodore said… all of us could cultivate magic in the future!"

The shanty town became quiet after listening to the youth's hysterical shouts.

Many people looked over.

After one breath, laughter broke out through the whole shanty town.

"Hahaha…"

"You muddy boy. Were you beaten silly by the mercenaries after you stole their money?"

"You rascal. Are you trying to fool us? You are really asking for a beating!"

Laughter and shouts could be heard all over the shanty town.

"It's true… I'm not lying!"

The youth was dumbfounded. His already red face after running became even redder.

"Don't go out unless it's necessary. Help your mother to do more chores."

"That's right. You're always fooling around all day."

The neighbours began to lecture him.

"I'm not lying. It's really true. Master Theodore himself said it in front of the Magic Tower!" The youth tried his best to explain in a panic, but nobody believed him. Having such a bad record backfired right then.

No. One should say that the stuff that he had just said was simply too ridiculous.

Magic could only be cultivated by the nobility. Peasants would never have the right to learn it.

The neighbours' jeers made his mother dash over furiously. She twisted his ear and dragged him back home.

As they made their way back, the youth saw Second Grandpa who was flashing his old and yellow teeth at him; Uncle Bucktooth was throwing stuff at him; a beautiful auntie with clothes in disarray was leaning against the window and smiling at him.

The youth panicked.

He suddenly thought of something and shouted loudly, "The great existence from the Azure Blue Star, you are the Master of language and words. You are the pioneer of the Internet. Under your protection, I shall connect with all sentient beings!"

A gleaming scroll hovered in front of him after he finished his words.

The laughter in the alley stopped abruptly right at this moment!

…

…

The once desolate mansion that was temporarily enlisted as the school was full of people.

When one looked closer, all those people had rough and dark skin. Their patched up linen clothes were so dirty that no one knew when they were last washed.

Obviously, they were almost all the lowly peasants who lived nearby.

Right then, the scene was as messy as the wet market.

The children were standing in front while the adults were standing at the back. They were chatting energetically with their yellow teeth showing and saliva flying everywhere.

"Old Vegetable Head, you came to learn to read, too?"

"Yes!"

I'm telling you, it's not easy to learn magic at our age!"

"Ay, I'm not thinking about learning magic. I'm thinking of learning combat skills to strengthen my body so I can work better! If I can't do that, at least I can read about that Empire's official website. I've heard from the Sour Long Sleeves that it's got everything and is very interesting."

"Yes. I heard from those literate people in the village too. I always thought there was only news about the Emperor, city lords and mages. I never knew there were so many other things."

The adults were chatting about the actual contents while the children were arguing about who was better!

"The Magical Deities are the most formidable. In our Empire, the three magical deities are the most formidable!"

"Nonsense. The most formidable is the Internet Deity! He is a real deity."

"Magical Deities are deities too! He is the best amongst the mages. He's even more formidable than Master Gambelin!"

"Anyway, the Internet Deity is the most formidable."

"Then, you tell me, what does the Deity of the Internet know? Can he control flames? Can he summon icicles? Can he make a big hole appear in the ground?"

"He can… he can do the Internet. You can choose not to go online if you dare!"

That's right. If you dare, don't get on the Internet to learn magic."

"All the magic on the Internet belongs to the Internet Deity. He must be the most formidable."

Just as the bunch of kids were engrossed in their heated argument, someone suddenly shouted, "Silence".

"Silence, silence. The teacher is here!"

The mansion, which was still bustling moments before, quietened down in a second after the shout.

A young man with a proud look walked up to a podium made of rocks.

He looked at the expectant peasants disdainfully. Honestly speaking, he wouldn't have gone there to teach those peasants if teaching wasn't part of the formal employment which entitled him to the benefits and 200 internet points every month!

However, he suddenly began to feel a little proud as he looked at the peasants' respectful and yearning gazes.

He thought that maybe going there to teach was not such a bad choice. At least it would be better than being ordered in the city lord's castle like a dog.

…

…

Under a crown-shaped gingko tree, an old couple carefully opened a letter that had been delivered by a mercenary.

It was a letter sent by their son.

A precious letter that was only delivered twice a month. But there was only one piece of paper in the envelope.

The letter didn't have the usual casual stuff. Instead, it wrote about something called the "Internet Divine Skill."

Frankly speaking, if the lord mages in the city hadn't sent people to promote it daily on the streets, the old couple would have suspected that their son had been bewitched by some evil gods.

"Our boy has sent us his soul number!" the old man cried happily to his old mate.

"What? What is a soul number?"

"That's the personal number on that whatever Internet… Aiya, you wouldn't know even if I told you. Wait a minute!"

The old man explained a little before he slowly recited the prayers written in the letter. It was also the same few sentences that were being promoted by the mage's people in the past couple of days.

Accompanied by his chanting, the Internet's iconic illusory scroll unfurled in front of him.

The old man followed his son's instructions in the letter and spent about half an hour before he could add his son's account number.

After he repeatedly made sure that the number was correct, he pressed on the virtual button. In a mere few seconds, the Internet's social media feedback alerted that the other party had already agreed.

Before the old man could figure out what to do next—

A small illusory parchment suddenly jumped out on the illusory scroll.

On the parchment was his son's unique soul mark. There were two words to select underneath it. One was [Reject], the other was [Accept].

The old man clicked on [Accept].

Instantaneously, a voice was heard, making his eyes blurry.

"Father, is that you?"

"Ya, are you my boy?" His mate grabbed the old man and said loudly in surprise before the old man could speak.

"Mama, it's me."

"Aiya. W-where are you? Why can't I see you?" The old lady quickly shouted as she turned her head to look around in the courtyard.

"I'm at Port Campbell!"

"Ah. You're still there? T-T-Then why does your voice sound like you're in the courtyard?"

"Hahaha. Mom, this is the Internet Divine Skill's voice call. We can talk to each other every day in the future!"

"What? The Internet Divine Skill. I-I-Isn't this the thing that the mages have been talking about every day?"

The old lady looked at her old mate and he answered, "That's the thing."

The two old people and their son praised the Internet Divine Skill for a while before they changed the topic to hear about their son's work.

They knew that their son had been doing well at Port Campbell. He had even begun to cultivate magic recently and had consolidated his soul power. He was praised by Old Bert which made the two old people very happy.

"Mom, Dad, I can't chat anymore. I've got to go to work. We can chat later tonight. Oh yes, remember to go to the magical tool shop to custom make an Internet mithril ring. The time's too short when we use prayers to log in."

"All right, all right, you go get busy. Take care of yourself. Don't save money, buy yourself some meat to eat." The old lady stretched her neck and shouted at the voice call interface, afraid that her son wouldn't be able to hear her.

"Aye. I got it, Mom."

Beep!

After the conversation was completed, the parchment that was floating above the virtual scroll disappeared, too. The two old people remained standing there speechless for a long time.

After a long while, the old lady wiped her tears and said in a hoarse voice, "Old man, how do we offer sacrifices to the Deity of the Internet?"